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Hi I'm Mike

I love to teach people. I teach in the courtroom. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

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I really enjoy two particular times each day. I have always been a morning person. As a boy, I had a paper route. Every day, my brother and I were up before the sun delivering the morning news. I still rise early. The serenity of nature at dawn and the glory of the sunrise inspire me. Just as inspiring is the moment when after having worked a long day I walk into my home. I am then reminded no matter how frustrating the day may have been that it is my work that supports this miraculous family of mine. My beautiful wife encourages me and cares for me. She was a big part in helping me raise my two older children who I brought to our marriage. They are now adults with children of their own. She also blessed me with our two younger children. They are still in high school and in addition to their gaining their education they are finding their place in the world. And I surely cannot forget my three amazing granddaughters.

Why I am a Mormon

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Some lawyers spend their entire careers behind a desk reading and writing. I choose to be a courtroom lawyer. The goal of a legal trial is to find the truth. We the attorneys present evidence, question witnesses and make arguments to teach and persuade those who will decide our case. Anyone who has watched a trial knows that the truth is not always easy to find. The same can be said when it comes to God and religion. There is so much evidence to sort through, so many witnesses and arguments. They are often contradictory.
But as the children of God, we don't make this search alone. Heavenly Father loves us. He is a good Father. He gives us help in our search for the truth. Some say that if there is a God, He has forgotten His children, leaving them to conduct their search unaided. However, as a Mormon, I believe Heavenly Father has called Prophets and Apostles to teach us His will. He gives us Holy Scripture to search and study. He challenges us to obey His commandments and put Him to the test to see if blessing He has promised will in fact come to pass. Most importantly however, He hears our prayers and sends His Holy Spirit to answer those prayers. It is through study, testing, prayer and personal revelation that I have come to be a Mormon. I testify that these things are true.

How I live my faith

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I am a patriot. I love my country. In addition to my law practice, I had the pleasure of serving in the military reserve for 22 years. Although I am now retired, I had the opportunity to give back to the community and the country in some small way. Probably the most rewarding occasions I had were to give legal counsel to people who were being called from the reserves into active duty. I hope that my advice smoothed the way for many who were being asked to sacrifice much more than I.
In the Church I have had a great number of chances to serve. One thing I love about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is that members are always being asked to help. In large part, those who are serving are volunteers just like me. Right now, I act as the secretary for several of our ecclesiastical leaders. I coordinate visits between these leaders and the many members who come to the leaders for advice and counsel. I also help keep coordination and training sessions on schedule by sending invitations to other leaders will attend and by drafting meeting agendas.
While my most recent service calling is great, through the years I have had a couple of favorites. One was when I got to play the piano every Sunday for the children's meeting. I am not a great pianist. But I sure loved helping to teach the kids to sing the songs about Jesus. The other was working with the 11-year-old boys in the Scouting program. Again, this was a teaching job where I got to share my knowledge of Scouting skills with these Tenderfoot Scouts.

Can you tell me about Mormon customs: how you dress for church, what holidays you celebrate, etc.?

Mike

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When you visit a Mormon Sunday service, you will see that the members are all dressed up. The men will normally wear collared shirts and ties. Some will wear suits. The women will wear dresses or skirts and blouses. You may be greeted at the door to the chapel by a missionary or a member. The members often address each other as Brother and Sister. As you enter the chapel, you will probably hear prelude music playing maybe on a piano or an organ. Come prepared to sing. Mormons have three or maybe four songs during their worship service Sacrament Meeting. Usually, there is an opening song as the service begins. We have another song before the Sacrament is passed to the congregation and there is always a closing song. There may be an intermediate hymn as well. Like most churches, there is a hymn book available and that days hymns are listed in the program flyer handed out as you enter or are posted on the board at the front of the chapel. The music in the hymnbook has a full four part SATB harmony. If you listen, you will probably hear people singing each part. If you know how to read music, feel free to join in. If you come on a Holiday, Easter or Christmas, you may hear the choir sing. Those are the Holidays that we share with the wider Christian faith. In their families, the members will also celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. We also celebrate local and national holidays as well.Show moreShow less

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